


Impulsivity

by Falt



Category: LA by Night, Vampire: The Masquerade
Genre: Apologies, Mistakes, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-08 11:55:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17980862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Falt/pseuds/Falt
Summary: Spoilers for Season 2, Episode 8: Innocent MonstersSome mistakes were made. Nines confronts Annabelle about them.





	Impulsivity

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for Season 2, Episode 8: Innocent Monsters
> 
> One day the coterie will learn from mistakes. Hopefully that day comes soon because they're gonna need it!

Satisfied that the Valkyries will come to their aid should an all-out war break out between the Anarchs and the Camarilla in Los Angeles, Annabelle approaches Nines and the Harley they had driven to the garage. He’s been quiet the last half-hour, staying near the bike and loitering with his arms crossed while Annabelle said goodbye to Ramona. 

His expression is unreadable as Annabelle comes near, and he gets on the bike without a word. Annabelle hesitates, but eventually gets onto the bike, wrapping her arms around Nines’ waist. He promptly starts the vehicle and they drive off into the early morning. 

The weather is perfect for such a ride. The sky is clear. A refreshing light breeze blows through the air. The streets are mostly empty but for the odd taxi or night shift worker. It is, by all accounts, a beautiful night that will lead to a beautiful California morning. But it’s impossible to enjoy. Nines isn’t stiff, per se, but he’s certainly tense. Annabelle tries to speak to him while they’re stopped at an intersection, asking if he’s alright. But as soon as the words come out of her mouth he presses forward, ignoring the red light, the revving engine drowning out any comment to be made. Without warning, he pulls into an abandoned parking light and turns off the bike, getting off. 

“We need to talk about what just happened,” he begins, getting off the bike and taking several steps away from Annabelle. “I didn’t say anything in front of them because we got what we wanted. But I can’t just let this go.”

Annabelle raises an eyebrow, crossing her arms defensively. “What are you talking about?”

“You let him go.”

She scoffs, taken aback. “I did not! He was going to skip town and start up his business somewhere else. I kept him in Los Angeles and under the watch of our friends.”

Nines is patient. He doesn’t lose his cool, not ever. His voice is even, level, sounding more like a disappointed parent than anything. “I let you do this yourself because I trusted you to make the right decision and you needed to take the leadership role. And this almost ended in disaster.”

“What did you want me to do? Kill him? He surrendered.”

“I know he did. But in maintaining one of your morals you completely sacrificed what is essentially your core belief. The thing that let me know you were special.”

The silence is deafening between the two of them for a long moment before Annabelle finally speaks.

“What are you talking about?” she asks, voice low.

Nines stares at her, his eyes betraying a sadness he seems to always carry but keeps locked away. “For all you talk about free will, you effectively sold him into slavery when you had him drink from Ramona. He has no independence. No free will. He will have to roll over as many times as Ramona orders him. For a lot of Kindred, death would have been a far more welcome option.” 

The statement hits her like a ton of bricks. The silence returns. She thinks about the conversation she recently had with Jasper about being forced to do things against one’s will, whether it be through coercion, blood sorcery, or otherwise. How something as harmless as moonwalking could have larger implications. She thinks about how angry and betrayed she felt when the coterie discovered the cage in Jasper’s haven. She thinks about everything she’d fought for with the protest group as a human.

She touches her face and there is blood on her cheek. She uses her sleeve to wipe it away, refusing to make eye contact with Nines. She can feel the disappointment radiating from the elder kindred, and it’s far worse than when it comes from Victor or Nelli. She’s looked up to Nines like a sire she doesn’t have—what Carver could be if he actually cared.

Nines gives her a moment to collect herself before resuming his grievances. “We are incredibly lucky that they didn’t tell us to go fuck ourselves,” he begins. “Even if they weren’t explicit in their desires, I agree that it was very clear that they wanted him dead. And he, dare I say, deserved to die.”

Annabelle looks out a long breath, putting her face in her hands for a long moment before sitting down on the cool asphalt. “How do I fix it?” she asks softly.

“You can’t. They’ve accepted our bargain and we need their help,” he replies, going to sit on his bike, perching himself so he can look at where his mentee is sitting. “You need to think through your decisions more thoroughly. It’s a problem that your entire coterie has. You don’t think your actions even when they directly and significantly affect you. Impulsive decisions are going to be your downfall.”

Annabelle nods once but doesn’t respond.

“We are on this earth for a long time,” he continues. “Your decisions have the ability to affect you far longer than they would if you were still human. Think about the length of time he has to relapse into using children to sell drugs. Think about the length of time he could be under Ramona’s control. In every single aspect, you made the wrong decision. And you’ll have to live with it until an opportunity to amend it arises.”

She nods again, taking a deep breath. She eventually stands back up. “I’m sorry, Nines.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me. I’m not the one affected.”

“I know. But I let you down.”

Nines shrugs non-committedly, shaking his head. “I just want you to learn. You have the capacity to be a great leader. But only if you work on your impulsivity. That spark you have means nothing if you can’t maintain your own moral compass.” He shifts and straddles the bike, turning it back on so the rumbling engine fills the night air. 

Annabelle accepts the unspoken invitation to mount the bike, retaking her position behind the elder kindred. She lets her head rest against Nines’ back, cheek sticking slightly to the leather of his jacket. He feels less tense now, for which she is relieved. It’s easier to enjoy nighttime Los Angeles as they ride back to the Valley.

Nines trusts Annabelle to learn her lesson. He’s not going to give up on her just yet. He still believes that she is their best hope. 

Annabelle is grateful that Nines is forgiving. She’s grateful that she has a mentor. Victor and Nelli are good teachers, but Nines teaches her things that her coterie cannot. Nines is more in tune with her individual needs and wants and dreams, and she wonders what having a present, committed sire would be like.

Nines takes the scenic route. They still have plenty of time before dawn, and the cool night air helps put distance between past mistakes and the present.

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while since I last posted. I've been having really bad writers block and school's kicking my butt. I haven't started my thesis and it's officially March! Wow! Someone help
> 
> Shout out to Luis Carazo for another excellent performance as Nines. Absolutely spectacular. I love this show so much, and this episode had a lot of inspiring content. I'll try to put up more work soon.


End file.
